Goldfinch Adventures Directors
Goldfinch Adventures
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2022)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $190 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
3-day safari: the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Our 3-day safari to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater was an incredible adventure, made even better by our guide, Manuel. His deep knowledge of the wildlife and the land made every game drive exciting.
The accommodations were just as memorable. The tented camp in the Serengeti offered an authentic, immersive safari experience, while the Acacia Farm Lodge near Ngorongoro was a luxurious and relaxing oasis.
In short, it's a can't-miss adventure, and with Manuel as your guide, a truly unforgettable experience is guaranteed!
Email Yang | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very reliable and helpful
Calvin who arranged the tour is very helpful and accommodating. Our tour guide Matthew is very experienced and very patient to take us to see all fives and five uglies as well as river crossing! Five of us had a wonderful time and kids love it so much! Highly recommended.
DE
Email Katja | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kevin was a very reliable friendly person who kept all his promises
We had a great safari experience. Kevin organised everything perfectly. From the transfer from Zanzibar to the airport, booking the flights to Arusha and back. We did a 4 days three nights safari with the national parks Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The best thing about the tour was our guide Noah. To our surprise, he spoke German and was able to tell us a lot about the animals and the parks. The chef Baraka also looked after us very well. We opted for the low-budget version. The tour and the food were really super good. Some of the tent camps are very basic, but you know that beforehand. We would book with Kevin Goldfinch again at any time.
Email Paul | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari of a Lifetime
The guys at Goldfinch planned a once in a lifetime trip for us. The were always on hand for any queries we had, going above and beyond to help us. Always on time and making sure we saw everything we wanted. Great value for money and such kind and friendly staff. Thank you for the great memories.
Email Jamie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
1 day safari - Superb Experience - Thanks to all the Goldfinch team
I booked a one-day safari with Goldfinch Adventures before our trip to Zanzibar, based on the promise of excellent service from start to finish—and they absolutely delivered.
We chose the one-day safari as some members of our group had already experienced a longer tour in the past, so this was the preferred option. That said, if I were to do it again, I would definitely consider a two- or three-day safari instead. There were seven of us in total.
Our journey began with a hotel pickup in Zanzibar, headed to the airport for a flight to Arusha. When we arrived, we were informed of a short delay with the incoming flight from Dar es Salaam—not a big issue. I contacted Kelvin at Goldfinch, and he reassured us that everything would be taken care of. Unfortunately, a little while later, we were told the flight was cancelled.
Kelvin went above and beyond to ensure we didn’t lose the experience. To avoid another early start and a long day, he arranged a later flight and even covered an overnight stay in Arusha—completely free of charge. Not only that, but he personally picked us up from the hotel and gave us a tour of Arusha, which far exceeded our expectations. We were incredibly grateful for this level of care. Truly excellent service.
The next morning, we were collected from our hotel by our safari guide, Sam, and set off for Tarangire National Park. Sam was outstanding—extremely knowledgeable not only about the animals and the park, but also about Tanzanian culture, history, and everyday life. He was a pleasure to talk to, engaging with both adults and kids the entire day without ever losing our interest.
During the safari, we saw zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions, warthogs, antelopes, vultures, and countless smaller birds I couldn’t name. We got very close to many of the animals and captured some amazing photos. One of the highlights was witnessing four female lions preparing and launching an attack on a huge herd of zebra. Although the zebras escaped, it was fascinating to watch the strategy and effort involved.
I’d recommend bringing a good DSLR and a couple of lenses if possible, like we did. That said, my daughter used her iPhone 16, and the photo quality was fantastic thanks to its excellent built-in camera.
If your budget allows, I’d highly recommend opting for the two- or three-day safari, which offers a more relaxed pace and the chance to visit the Ngorongoro Crater, where you’ll likely see even more wildlife. I’ll definitely be back to experience that.
Overall, I cannot recommend Goldfinch Adventures enough. The service and communication were top-notch from beginning to end. Kelvin was an outstanding host who couldn’t do enough for us, and Sam was an exceptional guide. Huge thanks to both of them!
Email Ketan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised, flexible and friendly - highly recommended!
Our family (2 adults, 3 teenagers) had a 5-day safari trip in the Northern circuit organised by Goldfinch Adventures, a small local company run by the super-organised Kelvin. During the booking process and throughout the safari, Kelvin personally responded quickly and helpfully to questions by email and text. He even came to the airport to meet us at the start and end of the trip to make sure we were looked after. All flight and taxi transfers from Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar were also organised for us.
The journeys and game drives were well planned, and the days were full but not too tiring. The jeep was comfortable with enough space for us and our suitcases and well-stocked with soft drinks and beers to help us through the hotter parts of the day!
We opted for mid-range accommodation and stayed in very comfortable and clean lodges which had excellent dinners and breakfast and also provided delicious packed lunches of rice and curries every day. Vegetarians were well catered for.
Our experienced safari guide, Emmanuel, was simply fantastic, with a brilliant knowledge of the plants, birds and animals in each park and and a sharp eye for spotting shy creatures. He was a really careful driver on some tricky roads, and in the face of some aggressive elephants! He was patient and friendly and really looked after us, ensuring we were comfortable on the trip and well fed while also making sure we all saw our favourite animals.
We also opted for the Ol Doinyo Lengai hike, and Kelvin adapted the rest of our tour for this to get us there and back and give us time to rest after the hike. He also arranged for a excellent local
Masai guides Makoi and Matai to make sure we made it up and down the challenging hike safely.
We really appreciated how personalised the trip felt thanks to Kelvin - it really was an holiday of a lifetime and we have no hesitation in recommending Goldfinch Adventures to anyone considering travelling in Tanzania!
US
Email Todd and Monique | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Things I wish I would have known...
First of all the value for the money was amazing. The customer service and the way they handled our entire trip the whole time was beyond our expectations. Kelvin made us feel secure the whole way and took care of every single stop and transfer without error! If you are considering this operation, purchase without fear!
Now here are some things we wish we would have known before starting out...
1) You are going to be in a Toyota Land cruiser and none of them from any of these companies have air conditioning. Because this is the high elevation tropics, that is usually okay. We were there in July and we could say we got hot in the car maybe once for a few minutes.
2) The mornings can be COLD . Bring at least one set of warm clothes.
3) do the Jeep excursions and not the ones where you're in an open truck strapped to a seat. Those people were at the mercy of the dust on the road and the weather 100% of the time. It looked completely miserable!
4) Don't bother overpacking. You will not be getting out of the car, except at lunch time in a campground.
5) take pictures of your people looking at the wildlife not just the wildlife.
6) hakuna matata... It's a way of life there and you should adopt it. Don't worry about things going wrong. Your safari company will make them right.
7) go to Zanzibar for at least one day, More if you can afford it. The Zanzibar Beach resort experience is incredible! We went for a day before our Safari and a day after and it was a stroke of genius.
8) The road is awful. I cannot stress this enough. The drives are torture for hours. Bring noise canceling headphones and you will thank yourself every single day.
9) bring Euro chargers for your phones. There is amazing support for US chargers but you will regret the day that it is missing.
10) The airport souvenirs were the same stuff but always seemed much cheaper than outside. This is opposite what you would expect. Kenya airport especially is a shoppers dream.
11) English skills here are rough. It may not be what you are used to. If you are thinking of a tour guide with a long canned speech, you should probably change your expectations.
12) do not fear the semi-permanent tent campsites because those were some of the best sleeps that we had and some of the best food that we had.
13) I wish I had carried more of the local currency all the time. Most places take dollars but once in a while they don't when you really need it.
14) The skill of your guide will determine what animals you see. We were very fortunate to have a fantastic one who seem to have a radar for rare animals. Shout out to Frank.
15) you are not going to get out of your car to look at the animals. Ever. That being said the pop tops on all the Jeeps make you feel super close to the animals.
16) The food is actually pretty mid the whole way. Bring snacks and keep your expectations low. However the fruit is the best you will probably ever taste in your life. This is especially true for the bananas and pineapples. You will realize you never tasted real bananas before you got here. And the pineapples are better than anything out of Hawaii.
17) The long airline flights are probably the most comfortable you're going to be on the trip so do not worry about them. They will be dim memories very quickly for us.
18) when you get involved in something exciting like a hunt, abandon all other plans and stay till the very end! You will never regret it.
19) kids around 11 can love this. Ours did. Younger kids probably will not love the drive. Keep the Safari short for them.
20) bugs were completely overstated as a problem. We can count on one hand how many bugs we saw in Africa.
21) Don't worry about using duffel bags. Bring a midsize roller suitcase. It's fine and way better.
22) leave some room in your suitcase for souvenirs. They are cheap and creative here!
23) get a SIM card at the airport so you can have your phone while you are traveling. I would have loved to have data/text on my hours long drives.
Going to Africa is not just about looking at a bunch of animals. It's a complete change of perspective. Your life will be divided into two parts from this time on. That is the time before you went to Africa and the time after you went to Africa. That is how much perspective it gives you and how life-changing it can be. If you are on the fence about an African safari, take this one. The price is amazing, you will scarcely do better! If you are willing to pay more go to a more developed country like Kenya, or South Africa. Maybe the roads will be better lol.
Email Claudia Loggie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely excellent safari!
My Mum and I did a 3 day, 2 night fly-in safari from Zanzibar and it was amazing! The whole process was extremely organised to every single detail. Our guide Ludo was fantastic and went over and beyond to make sure we saw as many animals as possible - which we did (Big 5 and many more!!). We would 100% recommend Goldfinch Adventures!
Email Surendra | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Tour Operator
Brenda Malley was absolutely fantastic in planning and executing our itinerary. Properties that Brenda chose for our stay were very good, given the limited availability owing to the peak season. Communication by Brenda was consistent and always prompt. Our guide and driver Lazaro went above and beyond in making sure that we had an absolutely great time during our safari with great sighting of the wildebeest migration over Mara River and big five.
An absolutely unbelievable experience, a must!
I don’t normally leave reviews but I had to make an exception for this. What an amazing 4 days/ 3 nights experience on our very first Safari!
Firstly a huge shoutout to Deo @ Goldfinch Adventures our organiser who made the transition effortless. We made contact in March 25 and just completed our tour in July 25. Firstly communication and responses were instant via email, to which then we switched to speaking over WhatsApp who would answer my numerous questions within hours. This was an extra special trip especially for me as I wanted to propose to my girlfriend. Deo advised how best to play it out and in which location, arranging with the local accommodation a special setup for the last evening. The plan came together and she said YES!! - Deo brother, you are a legend.
We had a private tour which entailed just myself and my new fiancée in the 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser. A lot of other tours were crammed with upto 6 people in one vehicle, which would have been really uncomfortable. Especially as you carry your suitcases with you. We did see another Goldfinch Adventures 4x4 along our tour which again had only another couple in.
Secondly a huge shoutout to Sele our driver/guide who has nearly 30 years experience of Safari tours and the Serengeti. The man is a walking/ talking satnav and such a knowledgable man. For 3 solid days, we covered maybe 400-500 miles looking for animals and not once did he use maps. He knew exactly where to go. Now you might say it’s his job, but you wait until you experience this for yourself.. I can very easily find my way around the UK.. road signs, points of interest etc. Not out here.. one track leads to another, the next one leads you into a swamp.. nothing's straight, you don’t know if your facing north, east, south or west. it blew my mind! 😂 Talking of animals, we managed to see everything we wanted and more. The BIG 5 complete✅ A very rare sighting of a Leopard relaxing up a tree was a highlight. Face to face with numerous Lions and there family’s! Elephants, Giraffe’s, Buffalo, Hyena’s and the illusive Rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater along with all the more common animals.. our instagram story has not stopped going off and the comments from back home have been very jealous of our entire trip.
The accommodation we stayed at was fantastic. We especially liked Acacia Farm Lodge & Moyo Tented Camp. The food and rooms here were unreal. Not what we were expecting so far from home but it definitely exceeded our expectations.
Truely an amazing experience that was made a hell of a lot easier from Deo, Sele and the Goldfinch Adventures Team. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
100% worth every penny we spent!